Soccer: Kingz manager calls it quits after five months

By TERRY MADDAFORD

After just five months in the job, Football Kingz general manager Peter Cox is moving on.

South African-born Cox, 40, is handing the day-to-day running of the club to another South African, Guy Hedderwick, the Kingz said yesterday.

Hedderwick has been with the club for the past few weeks liaising between the Auckland-based Australian National League franchise and its London-based benefactor, Brian Katzen.

"We've made great progress in recent weeks but I believe the time is right to move on," Cox said yesterday. "There is still much work to be done. Getting a new management in place will send a positive signal to the markets."

Cox said he would be returning to work with his former company "in the short term".

"Guy [Hedderwick] will be the acting general manager from today. He will take over the full accountability and responsibility," said Cox. "He will be part of the club's search for a new chief executive officer."

Katzen, also South African-born, said John O'Neill's appointment as the Australian Soccer Association's (ASA) chief executive officer led to real optimism that the new-look national league would attract much-needed commercial partners.

The ASA is due to announce the criteria and commercial partners for the new league on February 28.

The league is due to kick off in October-November.

Commenting on the appointment of a new football manager and coach, Cox said: "We are no closer on that. That side of things is just ticking over. The key thing at this stage is to get to the end of the season.

"For the past few weeks Guy, [club founder] Chris Turner and I have taken responsibility to make sure we got through to the end of the season."

Cox said that Turner would remain a board member from the end of this season but would cease to have anything to do with the day-to-day running of the club.

"He will not have an office in the Kingz office from that point.

"Brian [Katzen] has been working on appointing a new chairman of the board."

Cox confirmed the Kingz game against South Melbourne at Ericsson Stadium - originally scheduled for Friday night - has been put back a day and will now start at 7.30pm on Saturday.

"We have worked in co-operation with Sky Television, who have commitments to the one-day international against South Africa at Eden Park on Friday," said Cox.

He also confirmed Kingz striker Mark Beldham has been released and is playing for Sydney United.